Household appliance for treating floors



w. RRRRRR IS 2,739,333

William C. Harris March 27, 1956 w, c, HARR|$ 2,739,333

HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE FOR TREATING FLOORS Filed July 6, 1950 I5 Sheets$heet 2 l/VVE/VTOR William C. Harris Alkfifl'? 9- March 27, 1956 w. c. HARRIS HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE FOR TREATING FLOORS Filed July 6, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR William C. Harris mf /Mir 5 HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE FOR TREATING FLOORS William C. Harris, Racine, Wis., assiguor to S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc., Racine, Wis.

Application July 6, 1950, Serial No. 172,211

1 Claim. (Cl. 15-231) This invention relates to a household appliance to be used in the maintenance of floors and the like. More explicitly, the invention pertains to a manually-operated appliance adapted to hold interchangeably a variety of work elements, each of which performs a different function upon the surface treated.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive, yet durable and unique, household appliance to be used in the maintenance of floors. A further object is to provide a device of this character to which a variety of work elements may be readily and interchangeably attached.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which, although light and easily manipulated, is capable of holding any one of a number of work elements tautly and offers means by which the intended function of each work element may be fully utilized.

Another object is to provide a device of this character comprising three basic members: a retainer to which a work element may be attached; a cover member, fitting over the retainer and aiding in holding the work element about such retainer through pressure-transfer therewith; and a handle which, through attachment, exacts the pressure-transfer relationship between the two former members. Other objects will be apparent from the following specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the assembled appliance.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the appliance disassembled into its three major components.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the assembled appliance.

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of the assembled appliance.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the retainer member, illustrating the manner in which a work element is extended about the retainer.

Fig. 6 is a sectional side elevational view, taken along line 6-6 of Fig. 4, showing the assembled appliance with a typical work element attached thereto.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a work element which is readily received by the appliance and shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of another type of work element which is readily received by the appliance.

Referring to the drawings and especially Figures 1 and 2, the numeral 10 designates an appliance having three elements. The lower member, or retainer 11, constructed of metal or plastic, comprises an elongated plate 12 which has been bent transversely of its direction of elongation in concavo-convex form on an arc of large radius. The longitudinal margins of the retainer 11 terminate in flanges 13 and 14. As can be seen in Fig. 6, at bend 15, flange 14 is bent inwardly toward flange 13 to form a horizontal plane 16. Afiixed to plate 12, substantially in the center of the top is a raised handle socket 17.

The cover member 18 fits oxer the retainer 11, the front edge 19 extending to the bend thereby covering the horizontal plane 16 from view, and walls 20 have their 2,739,333 Patented Mar. 27, 1956 lower extremity fashioned in such a manner as to substantially coincide with the concavo-convex formation of plate 12. After being set in place, the cover 18 completely envelopes the flange 13 since the rear face 21 extends along the outside to a point at substantially the juncture of the flange 13 and plate 12.

A handle 22 is provided with an extended gripping portion 23, and a threaded porton 24. The threaded portion 24 has a diameter substantially less than that of the extended gripping portion, thereby providing a pressure shoulder 25 at the point at which the two elements (23 and 24) meet.

After the cover 18 is placed upon and aligned with the retainer, the handle 22 is inserted in a hollow boss 26 provided in the cover 18, the shoulder 25 contacting the uppermost part of the boss. The socket 17 forms an attaching means and is positioned in such a manner that the threaded portion 24 will immediately find it after having been moved through the boss. Turning of the handle 22 affixes the threaded portion securely in the socket and brings the front edge 19 down with pressure upon the horizontal plane 16. Likewise, the rear face 21 is caused to bear pressure against the entire longitudinal exterior of the flange 13.

In order to attach a working member such as the pad 27 shown in Figures 5 and 7, the contact pressure as between the members 19 and 16 and 21 and 13 is released by turning the handle slightly to the left without completely disengaging the handle from socket 17. The shoulder 25 is thereby raised of? the top of the boss 26 thereupon releasing the pressure contact points from conformity. The cover 18, now being slightly released from the retainer 11, and yet not disengaged from it, allows void spaces between the pressure contacts 19 and 16 and 21 and 13. Thereupon a working member such as the steel wool pad 27 which embodies two longitudinal finished margins 28 and 29, which are substantially the same length as the retainer 11, is attached to the appliance. This is accomplished by inserting the finished margin 28 between the front edge 19 of the cover and the horizontal plane 16, and inserting the finished margin 29 between the flange l3 and the rear face 21. Thus positioned, pressure is brought to bear upon the finished margins 28 and 29 and they are held securely aflixed to the appliance through the pressure transmitted by turning the handle 22 so as to cause it to be located deeper in the socket 17 and the shoulder 25 to bear downward pressure against the boss 26. As is quite obvious, the working member may be easily detached by simply loosening the handle in the socket and removing the finished margins from the released clamping media or pressure contacts.

Figure 8 has been included in the drawings merely to illustrate that other types of work members may be easily adapted to this type of appliance. The particular Work element illustrated is a mop and it will be immediately seen that it may be afiixed to the appliance in the same manner as the work element 27, that is, by causing the clamping efiect upon the finished margins 30 and 31.

It will be noticed that the handle, when attached, is immobile, no provision being made for a pivot of any type. Such provision is not required since the socket 17 is permanently disposed at an angle of approximately 45 to the rear plane of the plate 12 and the plate is bent transversely in concavo-convex form on an arc of large radius. This structure permits the appliance to be used comfortably by an operator of any height, even though the handle is stationary, since the contour of the plate 12 allows the handle to be held at various angles from the floor.

As will readily be appreciated, the novel construction of this appliance offers a combination heretofore unattained in this type of device, that is, beauty, simplicity and functionalisrn. The cover may be constructed of metal, wood. or plastic and may be shaped in. a contour pleasing to the eye. Although the device is simple and attractive, it nevertheless provides for durable means by which working elements may be securely, but detaehahly. affixed;

Although means are provided for. this secure attachment; when ready to be operated, none of the attaching means are visible to the eye. Furthermore, because of its unique method in utilizing a pressure-transfer systemtof retention, work members may be employed whichare substantial in size and perform a laborious task.

It will be apparent from the above that the device provides a multi-purpose household appliance adapted formany different floor maintenance uses, each chaliacterizeding an opening through which the lower extremity of said handle may be inserted, and a retainer upon which said cover member is superposed, said retainer including an elongated plate portion bent transversely ofits direction of elongation in concave-convex form on an arc of. large radius and having longitudinal flanges disposed on opposite sides of said plate portion and parallel to said direction of elongation, one of said flanges having an inwardly directed portion disposed on substantially a horizontal plantathe inner surface. of, said. plate portion beingprovided with a threaded attaching means extending upwardly-angularly therefrom in a transverse vertical plane whereby the lower extremity of said handle may be detaehably aflixed to said retainer by rotation of said handle and with axial displacement of said handle along its axis of rotation, said cover member having complementary elongated thrust surfaces adaptedatorestaonsaid inwardly directed portion and bear against the other of said flanges when said cover member is-superposedon said retainer, said cover member having means to receive-pressure from said handle when extended downwardly thereon upon axial displacementof said handle, sa-idflanges and thrust surfaces providing; a clamping means for. holding a work element when the lower extremity of] said handle is affixed to said retainer.

. Referencescitedginathe file oi this patent:

UNITED STATES. PATENTS Kersh Nov. 13, 1 951 

